Chickens – Beautiful Chaos

We have had chickens in the past and we wanted to have chickens again and we want to free-range them. This way the chickens provide us the best eggs ever. The only problem with that is that the rooster we had turned aggressive towards us, so we do not want a rooster again. Without a rooster we can not let the chickens free-range over our entire property, since they will not return to the stable. Chickens need a rooster for guidance. Another thing is the dogs we have. They would catch the chickens.

On the internet I had come across chicken tractors and thought that was the solution for us to keep chickens. I told my husband I would like him to build me an A-frame “light weight” chicken tractor for 10 chickens. A chicken tractor I would be able to pull a bit further every day, so the chickens would have a new piece of pasture every day.

Well, my husband did not like the A-frame. He was the opinion that I would bump my head, because the door would be so low and ratter small in with. Also for 10 chickens it would be a ratter large chicken tractor, so moving by hand would not really be an option anymore, especially over our very uneven pastures, so he built me this…

A classic style chicken tractor on a pasture

A classic style chicken tractor with a normal size door in the run to get in, although my husband still has to bend his head while getting in. The stable part also is bigger as it would have been in a similar size A-frame chicken tractor and is very suitable for the 10 chickens we have. The chicken tractor has 3 laying nests attached on the back side and 2 big doors on each side of the stable for easy access.

3 Laying nests at the back of the chicken tractor

The side of the stable of a chicken tractor with the door standing open, with 3 laying nests and 2 perches inside.

We always put the chicken feed and the water in the stable and it is very easy to clean out the stable with the big doors. The stable is about 1 meter above the ground, so the chickens can comfortably also free-range underneath. The overall size of the chicken tractor with the run is 3 x 1.6 meters and 2 meters in height. The stable is about 1 x 1.6 meters and 1 meter in height.

Obviously the chicken tractor turned out very heavy and we move it by tractor every 2 days, so the chickens will have a new piece of pasture to enjoy.

Chicken tractor hanging on a front end loader of a tractor for moving

We got ourselves 10 beautiful white Sussex chickens, which is a dual use breed. Good at laying eggs, but also good in meat with about 2 ½ years of age.

Sussex chickens on a green pasture inside the run of a chicken tractor

We feed the chickens grist out of peas, oats and wheat and they get our kitchen scraps twice a day. They always have chicken grit available, which they need to digest there food. Of course fresh drinking water is a must as well. They do lay a good amount of eggs. Sometimes we actually get 10 eggs on one day, but in average our 10 chickens lay 8 eggs a day, which is too little to cover our needs.

A Sussex chicken sitting in a laying nest to lay her egg

Overall the chicken tractor turned out very nice. It is beautiful to the sight and the size is suitable for the 10 chickens we have. Since we go to bed early with the kids we catch the chickens every evening and put them in the stable, so we can lock them in. This way no predators can get to them. Chickens go into there stable at dawn and that is ratter late for the bigger part of the year and if the chickens would free-range on a larger piece of pasture we would not be able to catch and lock them in every evening. I do find hanging and moving the chicken tractor with the tractor every other day annoying and I would like to have more chickens, so my husband is going to build a larger mobile chicken coop on a trailer, with an electrical timer controlled door, so we won’t have to catch the chickens to lock them in anymore, but that is for another time…

I always buy organic whole chickens from free range. At the moment we unfortunately do not have chickens our selves and whole chickens are cheaper then parts of chicken.

To start of with I always make roast chicken. Unpack chicken, wash chicken and check if everything that should be removed is removed. Put 2 chickens side by side on a backing sheet and brush with olive oil. Back at 160°C for about 2,5 hours for a chicken of about 2 kg in the oven.

And this gives the first meal. This is the children’s favorite, even unseasoned, just plain chicken meat. We had it with peanut butter sauce and the children hat ketchup. This day we hat home made bread and paprika with it, but another time we do rice and some other vegetables.

Then all the meat is taken from the bones and nicely packed for some other days. We only had meat for 3 more meals this time. Everything that is left, bones, skin and fluid on the backing sheet is put in a stockpot with onions, carrots, garlic, celery root, celery, salt & pepper. Ad water so everything is covered. I ad the parsley the last 10 minutes, that is when I don’t forget it. This is allowed to simmer for about 24 hours. That is, with only 2 hobs, the pot is put to the side for cooking now and than, but with that mass that does not matter. The result is 2 large and 4 smaller glasses with really good home made chicken bone broth for soups, cooking rice, etc.

The first thing I made after the bone broth was finished was a chicken soup. I removed the fat swimming on top. I know the fat can find good use in the kitchen, but I gave it to our cats. They love it. The soup is easy to make. What was left from the cauliflower and onions from lunch, carrots, celery, celery root, one portion chicken meat and a large glass of the bone broth. Bring this to a boil and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Tastes wonderful with some whipped cream. Even the children wanted to have a second; only the cauliflower was sorted out. The vegetables vary to what I have on hand on the time I make the soup.

The next thing I made was a risotto with a portion chicken meat and a large glass of bone broth. The other ingredients where an onion, risotto rice, coconut milk, a glass of pineapple, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, chili powder, peanut butter, peas from the freezer. It is easy to make. Chopping up the onions and braise, add the risotto rice to braise, add bone broth & coconut milk and let this simmer for a while. Than add the pineapple with the fluid and add the seasonings. Add the chicken meat, peanut butter and peas at the end. Simmer until the peas are done. Don’t forget to stir now and than to prevent the food from burning at the bottom. The girls did not really like it, but my husband and son liked it very much.

Then I made rice boiled in bone broth with red beets and shrimps. There was enough rice left for another meal which gave a chicken fricassee. Braise a portion chicken meat with some onions; add cream, garlic and seasoning. Let this thicken and add the leftover rice. I also made some sweet potato fries and warmed up some red cabbage. This might be an unusual combination, but I was using up left over’s.

With the rest of the bone broth I made another soup. I still had some chicken meat in the freezer from the previous chickens I roasted and added following vegetables to fill the soup. Onions, garlic, celery, celery root, carrots, peas & parsley. Again some whipped cream and finished is another meal.